You may have seen advertisements for those detox patches that a few companies have out now. The claim is that you stick one of these on each of your feet before bed and when you wake up all of the toxins will be sucked out of your body by morning as evidenced by the dirt on the patches you will see when you take them off. Another popular trend that has popped up in many spas are foot baths with electrical charges that are supposed to pull toxins out of the bodies after a 15-30 minute soak.

Many experts such as naturopaths, physicians, and dermatologists have weighed in on the subject of these trends and the consensus is that they do not work and the color shown on the pads is simply sweat from your feet mixing with the vinegar and other ingredients in the pad. Many tests have been done where the patches are stuck to an inanimate object for a few hours and the patch will still turn color. Although the experts and their tests show say they do not work – these pads do have some fans. Basically – they can help somewhat with the body but they are by no means the miracle they claim to be. Soaking your feet can be a great treat and help to relax you and to soothe irritated, tired or puffy feet which will make you feel better – but it is not because of any electrical current. The patches can gently exfoliate the soles of the feet and can also slightly stimulate some reflexology points in the body but will not be able to pull all toxins and metals out of your body as the claims say.

We have talked about natural, safe, and effective ways to detoxify the body before: natural good quality herbs, saunas, practicing relaxation routines, drinking water and green tea, and eating healthy foods to name a few. It is important to exfoliate your body regularly to get rid of any toxins resting on the skin as well as to remove dead skin cells and promote skin regeneration.

So, if have been thinking of using these patches – you will most likely be better off by using more effective, proven ways to detoxify your body as detailed above, but if you are currently using these patches or foot baths and think they may be helping – go ahead and continue because they should not cause you any harm and may be able to relax you and promote relaxation which will send you on the way to a healthier body but try to incorporate a few more detoxification methods into your life for best results.